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Native Plant Database

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Allionia incarnata (Trailing windmills)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Allionia incarnata L.

Trailing windmills, Trailing four o'clock, Pink windmills, Trailing allionia

Nyctaginaceae (Four-O'clock Family)

USDA Symbol: ALIN

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The orchid-colored trailing four-o’clock is a vine that grows along the ground; the plant may be 10 feet across. The stems, leaves, and buds are covered with soft white hair. The stems and flowers are sticky, and one rarely finds a flower without grains of sand stuck on the upper surface. Technically, what appears to be 1 flower is a cluster of 3 resembling a single radially symmetrical flower but no one but a trained botanist would ever guess it.

The flowers remain open most of the day, not just in the evening as suggested by the name. The other species, Smooth Trailing Four-oclock (A. choisyi), from Arizona to Texas and southward, has a perianth 3/16 (5 mm) long or less, and the curved edges of the fruit each bear 5-8 slender, gland-tipped teeth.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Ground cover
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , NM , NV , OK , TX , UT
Native Distribution: Southeastern California to southern Utah and Colorado; south to Texas, Mexico, and beyond.
Native Habitat: Dry gravelly or sandy soils in sun.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0616 Collected Oct 30, 1993 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Allionia incarnata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Allionia incarnata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Allionia incarnata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-10-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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